Why Is This Reebok Logo Upside Down?

It’s one of the most distinct features on the second installment of Reebok’s 3:AM series. Partnering with Atlanta-based LoveRenaissance and artist Freako Rico, the sneakers feature a flipped Reebok vector logo.

Inspiration to alter the branding on the collab, which features two pairs of Reebok Classics and a pair of the Workout Plus, came from looking at archival photos of one of the brand’s most noted endorsers.

Image via Reebok

“One of the most prominent figures to us growing up was Allen Iverson,” LVRN co-founder Carlon Ramong said from the creative collective’s Atlanta headquarters. “One thing he always did, apart from having all the sleeves and tattoos, was the headband—and he would have his headband on upside down.”

The NBA ended up banning players from flipping their headbands upside down in 2010, but Iverson’s rebel spirit was a big factor for Reebok’s latest collaboration partners. In fact, the LVRN crew wasn’t even sure Reebok would let them flip the logo on the collab.

“Everything was always anti-establishment, anti-everything. That’s something we wanted to bring to what we were doing,” Ramong said. “We look at everything from a traditional standpoint and figure out another way to do it.”

The third installation of Reebok and Foot Locker’s 3:AM series is expected to continue with collaborators from New Orleans later this year.